Traffic on Coolinge Lane

A message from Mr Lester....

Traffic on Coolinge Lane is not a new issue for us and it's one that I regularly write to parents about - seeking your support.

We have almost 1200 girls and around 150 members of staff arriving on site every morning from 8am to 8.30am. There is a similar exodus for girls at least, every afternoon at 3.30pm. We also have Sandgate Primary School following a fairly similar pattern, 2 nurseries nearby and of course other neighbours on Coolinge Lane departing for work etc. The road therefore is an exceptionally busy one. Parents are routinely blocking our drive, parking on double yellow lines and even zigzag lines; performing 3-point turns; lots of aggressive use of the horn; running late, tempers frayed and that is simply not conducive to road safety; it is putting lives at risk.

Compounding the volume of traffic, our main entrance also lies on a sharp bend and on a hill. There is no pavement on the schools/nurseries side of the road. We are increasingly concerned that students can cross the road safely and remind parents please - DO NOT drop off or pick up students from the school gates.

I ask for caution please around our school, our girls and Coolinge Lane in general.

Cars parking/stopping here pose a serious threat to other road users, and in particular to pedestrians. There are our girls of course, but also younger children heading towards the primary school and parents with young families, baby buggies etc. all crossing roads to get to and from the schools/nurseries. There are double yellow lines all around the area for this very reason, yet parents continue to stop here despite our concerns and our appeals and our pleas. We are extremely concerned that young lives are being put at risk.

Please can I ask us all to be mindful of other road users, of pedestrians and our neighbours at these crunch times.

It won't do the girls any harm whatsoever to have to walk the final few hundred metres - and that's especially true as the weather improves (hopefully) and the daylight hours grow longer.

Two schools. Two nurseries.  No crossings. No pavement. It only takes one accident. Please drive and park safely.

Yours sincerely

Mark Lester

Principal